Systems and methods for molecular diagnostics
First Claim
1. A sample preparation module for an assay cartridge used in a PCR-based molecular diagnostic device, said sample preparation module comprising an elongated body which comprises a sample loading well of an asymmetric shape where a sample is loaded before nucleic acid is extracted from the sample, said PCR-based molecular diagnostic device comprising an automatic dispense system to transfer the sample using a pipette, wherein the sample loading well comprisesa generally vertical wall around the sample loading well,a tilted cone shape bottom having a deepest portion,a sample loading well inlet covered by a removable cap, anda sample collecting channel having a sample loading well outlet at its top end and a fluid collecting area at its bottom end,wherein the removable cap has a cap inlet covered by a cap inlet septum having an inlet slit,wherein the sample loading well outlet is covered by a sample loading well outlet septum having an outlet slit,wherein the fluid collecting area is at the deepest portion of the bottom,wherein the pipette is capable of adding the sample to the sample loading well through the sample loading well inlet, andwherein the pipette is capable of collecting the nucleic acid from the fluid collecting area through the sample loading well outlet.
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides systems, devices and methods associates with processing and analyzing samples for molecular diagnostics. The system may process samples using assay cartridges including sample preparation modules and PCR modules. The system may include thermal cycler modules and optics modules to detect the specific nucleic acid sequences in the samples.
322 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A sample preparation module for an assay cartridge used in a PCR-based molecular diagnostic device, said sample preparation module comprising an elongated body which comprises a sample loading well of an asymmetric shape where a sample is loaded before nucleic acid is extracted from the sample, said PCR-based molecular diagnostic device comprising an automatic dispense system to transfer the sample using a pipette, wherein the sample loading well comprises
a generally vertical wall around the sample loading well, a tilted cone shape bottom having a deepest portion, a sample loading well inlet covered by a removable cap, and a sample collecting channel having a sample loading well outlet at its top end and a fluid collecting area at its bottom end, wherein the removable cap has a cap inlet covered by a cap inlet septum having an inlet slit, wherein the sample loading well outlet is covered by a sample loading well outlet septum having an outlet slit, wherein the fluid collecting area is at the deepest portion of the bottom, wherein the pipette is capable of adding the sample to the sample loading well through the sample loading well inlet, and wherein the pipette is capable of collecting the nucleic acid from the fluid collecting area through the sample loading well outlet.
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8. An assay cartridge for a PCR-based molecular diagnostic device, said PCR-based molecular diagnostic device comprising an automatic dispense system to transfer the sample using a pipette, said assay cartridge comprising:
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a sample preparation module comprising an elongated body which comprises a sample loading well of an asymmetric shape where a sample is loaded before nucleic acid is extracted from the sample, wherein the sample loading well comprises a generally vertical wall around the sample loading well, a tilted cone shape bottom having a deepest portion, a sample loading well inlet covered by a removable cap, and a sample collecting channel having a sample loading well outlet at its top end and a fluid collecting area at its bottom end, wherein the removable cap has a cap inlet covered by a cap inlet septum having an inlet slit, wherein the sample loading well outlet is covered by a sample loading well outlet septum having an outlet slit, wherein the fluid collecting area is at the deepest portion of the bottom, wherein the pipette is capable of adding the sample to the sample loading well through the sample loading well inlet, and wherein the pipette is capable of collecting the nucleic acid from the fluid collecting area through the sample loading well outlet; and a PCR module, wherein the sample preparation module and the PCR module is detachably coupled. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification